CNN.com - Dean lumps rivals with Bush in Iowa debate - Jan. 4, 2004: "Another off-the-cuff comment that has drawn criticism from Dean's opponents was his assertion that Americans are no safer with ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein in custody.
'I don't know how anybody could say that we're not safer with a homicidal maniac, a brutal dictator, an enemy of the United States, a supporter of terrorism, a murderer of hundreds of thousands of his own people in prison instead of in power,' Lieberman said. "

Lieberman here is making an error that has become rather surprisingly common these days and that is seein the situation as a binary decision: Either Saddam is captured or he is in power.

Every reasonable person I know believes the world is better off without Saddam in power. Every reasonable person I know is also glad that we have finally captured Saddam. However, there is some disagreement about whether or not Saddam's capture (not his ouster from power) really makes us any safer.

Saddam was somewhat contained during his last months in power, and he was VERY contained living in his little "spider hole" under a farm. The only thing about his capture that makes me feel any safer is the hope that he is revealing information in captivity that will lead to the capture of the people who are still dangerous and the seizure of weapons and tools that endanger us.

I'm glad he's out of power and I'm glad we've captured him. Mr. Liberman should know better than to assume that those two things are mutually exclusive.